


Braids and Beads

by soprano_buddy15



Category: The Last Kingdom, The Last Kingdom (TV), The Warrior Chronicles | The Saxon Stories - Bernard Cornwell
Genre: Hair Braiding, Teaching, Uncle Finan, Uncle Osferth, Uncle Sihtric, domestic life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24550561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soprano_buddy15/pseuds/soprano_buddy15
Summary: Sihtric realizes that he needs a haircut and his hair re-braided, and Stiorra volunteers for the task.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	Braids and Beads

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Java_Blythe_Peralta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Java_Blythe_Peralta/gifts).



> Java_Blythe_Peralta (over text): "You're posting like a fic a day."  
> Me: "YES I KNOW IT'S RIDICULOUS."
> 
> So yeah. Here's another one. I was actually hoping to post this yesterday but then I was inspired to write my most recent Eadith/Finan one, and once the Muses hit you... sometimes you just gotta write a new story. 
> 
> Also, I had to use a thesaurus for the first time since my classes ended two months ago and I gotta say, I did not like it. 
> 
> Constructive comments are always welcome! Just don't be rude, because nobody wants that.

The sun was shining hot and bright, and it was the first proper day of spring. Finan had excitedly unstitched the sleeves from his tunic, and Aelfwynn was excitedly hopping around the estate as Sihtric threw bread and apples into a sack. 

“We must hurry!” Aelfwynn stopped hopping for a moment as she examined the contents of the sack. “Is that all you’re bringing?” 

Sihtric threw the girl a glance. “These are the freshest apples we have, Aelfwynn.”

“Did you purposefully choose the stalest bread as well?” Stiorra smirked at Sihtric as she came into the room, holding a blanket in her arms. Young Uhtred followed, carrying a stack of pillows. Aethelstan was walking directly towards the doorframe with his nose stuck in a book, and Young Uhtred quickly pulled Aethelstan to the side, avoiding a collision.

Sihtric tied up the sack and threw it over his shoulder. “Are we ready to go?” He asked, and Aelfwynn shrieked in excitement as she grabbed Aethelstan’s hand, running to the front door.

“What have we agreed to?” Finan came up beside Sihtric as they followed Stiorra out of the estate. Just a short walk outside of the estate was a creek that was nicely shaded. Aelfwynn had been begging for weeks to go and play there, and Osferth had suggested that they bring a meal and make an afternoon out of it.

Sihtric just shook his head. “One day, Finan,” he said. “We’ll get Osferth back for this.”

As much as he was worried about leaving the estate, Sihtric appreciated being able to get out of the four walls. The air was fresh, and the children’s giggles made him happy. It had gotten crowded with the seven of them living in the modest estate, and Sihtric knew that this was for the best.

Stiorra and Young Uhtred had already reached the glade by the time Finan and Sihtric made their way to the creek. Stiorra had spread out the blankets on the grass underneath a giant oak tree and Young Uhtred set down the pillows. He promptly lay down and was soon snoring. 

Finan flung himself down on the blanket, content to let Aethelstan and Aelfwynn run around. While Finan was relaxed, he was constantly watching them, hand resting gently on his sword. 

Sihtric dropped the sack down on the ground, wincing when he remembered the soft apples he had placed in there. 

“Nice going,” Stiorra groaned, sitting down abruptly. “Now they are really bruised.”

“You could have helped pack some more food, Stiorra.” Sihtric nudged her with his shoulder as he sat down. Stiorra just scoffed and leaned against the oak tree. 

Sihtric felt himself relax more than he had in a long time. It had been many months of sailing to Northumbria multiple times and riding south to Winchester. As much as he missed his family, and fighting with Uhtred, he appreciated the time to recharge.

He brushed his hands over his head, grimacing at the hair growth on the side of his head and the tangled mess of his braid. He felt Stiorra examine him as he pulled the small leather tie from the end of his braid out and removed the beads. “Do you need help?” She asked.

Sihtric winced as a knot got caught in his fingers. “Yes, that would be nice.”

Stiorra gently swatted his hands away from his head and pulled the braid apart. Aelfwynn had stopped running around after Aethelstan decided that his book was more interesting, and so all of them were now sitting on the blanket, relaxing in the warm air. 

Aelfwynn picked up one of the beads that Stiorra had set down and examined it. “Why do you wear these?” She asked. “Where do they come from?”

He opened his palm and she dropped the bead into his hand. “I wear them because my wife gives them to me,” he explained. “She collects them and gives me one every time I return home to her. Each one was given to me because I came back from battle safely.”

Aelfwynn picked the bead back up and looked at it closely, admiring the intricate structures he had carefully carved into the bead. “What is this?”

“The raven Munin. It means ‘memory.’” He remembered the day he was given this bead and chose to carve the raven into the bead. It was after he had returned from the Danish camp after freeing Skade and had gone to Winchester to find Ealhswith. He had brought her flowers, and she had given him a bead. He knew then that he did not deserve her. Uhtred had spent him to spy many times, but he was most proud of those few weeks he spent at the camp. It had been hard, but very rewarding. 

Stiorra shook out Sihtric’s hair. “I’m assuming you’ll want it shaved as well?”

He thought for a moment, and then reached behind him to grab his seax. “Have you done this before?” He usually only had Ealhswith, and sometimes Uhtred, to cut and braid his hair, but he was getting slightly desperate as the beads were coming loose and the short bristles of hair were tickling his ear. 

“There’s a first time for everything.” Sihtric frowned at her as she grinned wickedly, snatching his seax out of his hands. “Hold still.”

Finan watched as Stiorra carefully pulled the sharp blade against the short hairs on the side of Sihtric’s head. “Carefully, Stiorra,” he cautioned mockingly, and Sihtric hit him when Finan gasped dramatically and whispered “Oh, no.”

“It looks just fine, Sihtric.” Osferth rolled his eyes, gingerly testing out his arm. Sihtric had deemed it healed enough to take the sling and the brace off, but his arm was still weak from disuse. 

“Aelfwynn, go grab some water from the creek.” Stiorra tossed the girl a water skein before tugging Sihtric to his feet. “It’s time you wash your hair, properly.”

Osferth chuckled as Sihtric gleefully took the full water skein from Aelfwynn and poured it over his head. “You Danes are so obsessed with cleanliness.”

“At least we don’t have lice or rotten teeth.” Sihtric said as he shook out his hair, drops of water spraying out and splashing Aelfwynn. She giggled and tried to hide behind Finan, but he grabbed her around her middle and held her in front of him as Sihtric purposefully splashed water in their direction. 

Osferth had opened his mouth to reply to Sihtric, but Aethelstan had leaned over with his book, asking for help on one of the passages. Sihtric smiled, a little bit sad, at the eagerness in which Osferth helped his nephew. 

Stiorra set some pillows against her crossed legs for Sihtric to lean on once he sat down. She gently combed his wet hair clear of tangles, but hesitated before she started braiding it. “I’ve never braided somebody else’s hair before,” she admitted quietly. 

Sihtric shrugged. “Just start with the three strands, and then add little pieces underneath the braid.” When she still hesitated, he looked up at her. “I’m not fussy.”

She smirked, and then pulled the strands tighter as she began to weave them together. Catching Finan’s bemused expression at the small lie, he narrowed his eyes towards the Irishman.

Finan was constantly teasing him for how meticulous Sihtric kept himself and his belongings. He could not help himself; everything had a place and he enjoyed making sure that everything belonged. Even on his person he always kept his coin purse on his left side, his seax on the back of his belt. Usually he kept his hair just as particular, but he was going on six months without seeing Ealhswith and Uhtred was not here to do it for him like he did last time. 

He winced as Stiorra tugged on a strand of hair. “Not that tight,” he said, and she loosened her fingers just a bit. “Have you put any beads in yet?”

“I was just about to.” She picked up a bead from the pile, and he began to explain how to thread a section of hair through the centre and lock it in tightly. These beads were special; they were not quite cylindrical and could wrap wound the edge of the braid, the hair holding it in going over a small bar. He reached his hands up and pushed the edges around his braid. “See? Like this.” He said. 

She swatted his hands away and continued to braid, occasionally cursing in Danish (earning a sharp “Hey” from Finan) when a strand slipped, but soon enough she was nudging him to sit up as she finished the braid, tying it off with the leather cord and covering it with a bead. “Oh no,” she said, and Sihtric looked down at her hand. Two beads were still left. “I guess I need to work on my spacing,” she smiled, but Sihtric could see that she was not happy with herself. 

He reached up to feel the braid. It was very good for someone who was used to braiding their own hair. He knew he had to practice many times before he could wear his hair in the twists that he used to have, and only learned how to properly braid once Ealhswith sat down with him to teach him. “It feels very good, Stiorra,” he said, smiling at her. “Thank you.”

“Here,” She let the beads fall into his open palm. As they fell, he noticed Aelfwynn’s eyes follow them as the gleamed. 

Thinking suddenly, he gestured for Aelfwynn to come over. She knelt bestie him and he placed them into her small hand. “I’m worried I’m going to lose these,” he said. “And I think Finan needs some beads too. Why don’t you go and braid them into his hair?”

“Yes!” She jumped up and ran over to Finan, who was trying to get a word of protest out. “May I braid your hair?”

“It’s not nearly long enough,” he stuttered. “There’s no way it’ll stay.”

Sihtric grinned evilly, and reached over to tug at the length of hair at the nape of his neck. “If you do a regular three strand braid here, you can fit them on.”

“Please, Finan?” Aelfwynn asked, eyes wide. 

Finan started to resist, but relented when he saw that Aelfwynn would not give up. “All right,” he muttered, but he was smiling when Aelfwynn jumped in excitement.

“You saw how Stiorra put the beads in?” Sihtric asked, and she nodded as she gathered the small section of hair and divided it into three. Finan was sitting very still as she threaded the beads in, and Stiorra, in a rare moment of goodwill, even donated one of her own leather ties to her so she could tie it off. 

“There,” she whispered, obviously pleased with herself.” Finan reached up to feel the small braid.

“It’s been quite some time since I’ve had braided hair,” he joked, but then turned sincere as he looked at Aelfwynn. “Thank you.”

Aethelstan determined that he was finished reading for the moment and pulled Aelfwynn away to go and run in the grasses. Sihtric watched them joyfully run around, and realized shortly after they had come back and collapsed on the blanket in exhaustion that they had been gone much longer than he had realized. “I suppose we should head back,” he said to Finan and Osferth, suddenly realizing that the sun was setting much faster than he predicted. With a sight they stood and packed up the pillows and blankets and started walking back towards the estate. 

Stiorra ran up next to Sihtric and began walking with him. “I just wanted to say thank you,” she said quietly, glancing back at Young Uhtred and Osferth. Her usual confidence was replaced by something much more quiet and thoughtful. 

“For what?”

“For letting me braid your hair.” She bit her lip, looking at her feet as she walked. “My mother never taught me how to braid others hair before she died. I remembered her promising that she would after the baby was born.”

Sihtric nodded, feeling the loss of Gisela. She had been so kind to Sihtric when he first swore himself to Uhtred’s service, defending his love for Ealhswith and being with her when they rode out to fight for Alfred again. He knew what it was like to lose a mother, and Stiorra had been the same age he was when their mothers had passed. “It comes very naturally to you. She braided hair wonderfully.” He paused. “She would have been very proud of your braiding,” he said honestly. 

Stiorra gave him a soft smile, and he gave her a soft nudge of affection as they came upon the estate gates. She had grown into such a confident young woman, her features mirroring that of Gisela’s almost exactly. He was proud of both of Uhtred’s children, and found himself appreciating getting to know them better. 

Aethelstan ran past Stiorra, kicking mud up onto her skirt. Sihtric grinned as she furiously tore after him, screaming that she would hide all of his books. As much as she was Gisela’s daughter, she was just as much Uhtred’s, and sometimes it showed all too well.


End file.
